Hey, howdy, hey, Tyler!
Yeehaw! Rounding up the whole gang for a rootin' tootin' adventure aboard the Disney Cruise Line sounds like my kind of vacation. I'm happy to give you some pointers for starting to plan your sailing together on the Disney Cruise Line.
The first place I would start when booking for a large party is to determine approximately how many staterooms you expect to book. Typical staterooms can accommodate about three to five Guests, with accommodations for four Guests being the most common. On some of the Disney Cruise Line ships, there are a few concierge-level staterooms that can accommodate more than five Guests. Those staterooms tend to be very popular, so I would recommend booking well in advance if they are of interest to you. As you prepare to book your cruise, it will be helpful to plan who will be staying in each stateroom. Keep in mind that there must be at least one adult booked in each stateroom.
Tony's Tip: When booking a large party, it can be nice to find staterooms that are near each other, and sometimes even with connecting doors. I've also found it fun to book staterooms in a variety of categories in different locations throughout the ship. That way, when we visit other members of our party, we get a chance to explore more of the ship and admire the stateroom door decorations of other Guests.
I find that the simplest way to book a Disney cruise is to use the Find a Cruise page online. However, that tool only supports booking up to four staterooms at a time. If you need more staterooms than that, you may use the tool multiple times to book sets of staterooms. But you'd have to link them together afterwards anyway. So I would recommend calling the Disney Cruise Line for assistance booking all of your rooms at one time. A Cast Member can help you select from available stateroom categories and other options while booking your cruise. Of course, the Find a Cruise page may still help decide things like which starting port and itinerary you would like to sail and which starting date you'd prefer. For example, if you are looking for a cruise in the early summer, would you prefer a cruise to Disney Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point out of Fort Lauderdale, Florida? Or maybe a land and sea adventure that combines a visit to the Walt Disney World Resort with a cruise out of Port Canaveral, Florida? Or perhaps, you'd be interested in something entirely different like a cruise to Alaska aboard the Disney Magic or Disney Wonder.
Thanks for visiting us at planDisney, Tyler. It's our pleasure to share with you tips and recommendations based on our experience sailing on the Disney Cruise Line. Please visit again with more planning questions you may have.
Have a magical time, Tyler!
~Tony